Urban News Features

Strange Fruit? Critic Says Oak Tree Evokes Lynching Image at Site of Maggie Walker Statue by Jeremy Lazarus

Dec. 27, 2015

Strange Fruit? Critic Says Oak Tree Evokes Lynching Image at Site of Maggie Walker Statue
By Jeremy Lazarus

garyflowers

Gary L. Flowers stands in front of the oak tree he wants removed from the site of the proposed Maggie L. Walker statue. Location: Broad and Adams streets at the intersection with Brook Road, a gateway into Jackson Ward, the historic center of Richmond’s black community. PHOTO: Richmond Free Press

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Richmond Free Press

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The fight over a tree in the immediate vicinity of a planned Maggie L. Walker plaza is raging in Richmond, Va.

Gary L. Flowers, a Richmond native and national political and civil rights operative living in Jackson Ward, has jumped into the fray with a petition drive opposing the live oak that now dominates the gateway into Jackson Ward where the monument to the great lady is to stand.

Flowers said his goal is to “galvanize support to honor Mrs. Walker in her full glory unencumbered” by the trunk and branches of the tree in the triangular Downtown park at the intersection of Broad and Adams streets and Brook Road.

Chief among Mr. Flowers’ reasons: The tree would be a symbolic affront to Mrs. Walker, a business leader whose contributions are legion in the African-American community and nationally at a time when the government was imposing racial segregation.

Mrs. Walker is best known as the first African-American woman to found and operate a bank — a huge accomplishment in 1903.
“Placing the statue of Mrs. Walker under a tree hearkens back to the bloody period of history when our heroes swung, in the words of Billie Holiday, like ‘strange fruit,’” Flowers said.

He stamps that point into his petition with this strong statement: “Don’t lynch the legacy of Maggie Walker under a tree!”

Besides avoiding painful symbolism, he said clearing the tree from the plaza also would give artist Antonio Tobias “Toby” Mendez “the free space to fully celebrate the life and work of Mrs. Walker.”

Flowers and his allies, including retired businessman J. Maurice Hopkins, are throwing down the gauntlet to tree supporters, including Mayor Dwight C. Jones, who see the oak as adding an additional dimension to the plaza project that is projected to cost around $600,000 for the art and other elements.

With Mendez still mulling a design, both sides in the tree fight are gearing up to express their views to the Richmond Public Art Commission and the city Planning Commission, which will have the final say.

The first community hearing for people to voice their views is set for Tuesday, Jan. 12.

Supporters of the tree were first to push the issue. Appalled that the statue might displace the tree, Jackson Ward resident Mariah Robinson rallied support with an online petition to save the tree she regards as “irreplaceable.”

More than 800 people signed, including Mayor Jones, who announced Dec. 3 that he was joining the “effort to preserve the special oak tree” that he said would add a symbol of strength to the monument. Flowers is now seeking to get another perspective heard in one of his first efforts to affect policy in his hometown after years of being involved in national civil rights affairs. Most recently, he was executive director and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based Black Leadership Forum, a coalition of 51 black political, civic and economic development groups.
Earlier, Mr. Flowers was based out of Chicago as vice president and national organizer for the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

“When I returned to Richmond 18 months ago, I was euphoric when I heard about the plan to place Mrs. Walker’s statue at this intersection,” said Flowers, who has a consulting firm.
The euphoria quickly faded, he said, after he learned about Robinson’s petition to maintain the tree. He said that pushed him to take action “to bring together a coalition of conscience, regardless of race and gender, to prevent the legacy of Maggie Walker from being lynched.

“It would be wrong to have an enormous live oak tree literally cast a shadow over this tribute to her life and work,” he said. If the statue is to succeed, it needs to get the same treatment as the other major statues in Richmond, none of which are stuck under trees, said Hopkins, a member of the Maggie L. Walker High School Class of 1965.

“We need a 360-degree panoramic view of the statue, and that will not be possible if the tree stays,” he said.

The anti-tree petition is now online at GoPetition.com/petitions/support-Maggie-Walker-without-a-tree.html. For additional details, contact Flowers, (773) 230-3554, or Hopkins at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Malawi Prison Band Now a Grammy Nominee

Dec. 27, 2015

Malawi Prison Band Now a Grammy Nominee

Zomba Prison Project musicians.

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Global Information Network

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – With voices as gentle as angels, inmates at a maximum prison in Malawi have recorded an album which could capture top prize at the upcoming Grammys.

“I Have No Everything Here” was recorded at Malawi’s Zomba prison and is among the first batch of nominations for the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.

Slotted for Best World Musical Album” alongside musical giants like Angelique Kidjo and Anoushka Shankar, they are Malawi’s first ever Grammy nominee.

The album, recorded in prison by music producer Ian Brennan, captured the attention of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the US who hand out the hotly-contested prize.

Released in January 2015, the album features 16 singer-songwriters in the 20 tracks, 18 of which were written by the prisoners, both male and female.

"It is a great accomplishment," gushed Brennan in an interview with Al Jazeera.

"I am very happy for the prisoners and quite shocked really," he said. "The awards have become extremely celebrity-driven, and ironically, the World category in particular has become so predictable - it's the same names almost every year … so to see a group of unknown individuals get a nomination makes it that much more of an accomplishment." A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the music will fund legal representation and provide support for the inmates, he said.

The album, in the Chichewa language, combines guitars, solos and softly-pulsing melodies with powerful lyrics.

Brennan and his wife, photographer and documentarian Marilena Delli, have been working with incarcerated people to bring underrepresented voices on the world stage.

A group of men at the prison already had their own band when Brennan arrived, and a prison officer allowed them to practice for a few hours a week. Women did not immediately join up until near the end of Brennan’s time in the prison when one of the women finally stepped up to the mike.

“It was the dam breaking,” he said. “Once one of them stepped forward, they started queuing up. And some of them came back a second or third time. Some of the best songs are from people who claimed they weren’t songwriters or singers.”

Many of the tracks depict the harsh conditions in which the inmates live and the journey that brought them to their incarceration. One song, written and sung by Thomas Binamo, is called, “Please, Don’t Kill my Child.” Another, by Josephine Banda, is titled, “I Kill No More.” And Officer Ines Kaunde wrote one song titled, “I See the Whole World Dying of AIDS.” Brennan says not all the tracks made it on the record but, in total, there were four with the “AIDS” in the title.

“Out of context, ‘I see the Whole World Dying of AIDS,” could seem overstated. But for them, within a country with some of the highest HIV rates in the world, that’s a very real perception,” he says.

It’s highly unlikely that the Zomba Prison Band will be able to attend the 2016 Grammy ceremony in Los Angeles. Though some may be released in the future, most will remain in a place with “no everything.”

A website for the Zomba Prison Project with links to their songs can be found at http://zombaprisonproject.bandcamp.com/

'Tis the Season of Inequality by Julianne Malveaux

Dec. 27, 2015

'Tis the Season of Inequality
By Julianne Malveaux

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - In progressive policy circles, and during the Democratic presidential debates, people are talking about income inequality. Though this phenomenon has always been with us, the activists who are demanding $15 per hour pay remind us that some have much and too many have too little. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have pulled Democrats into the conversation, some kicking and screaming. President Obama, who barely mentioned the word “poverty” in the first six years of his presidency, has recently talked about income inequality.

More than a quarter of all African Americans and Latinos live in poverty, along with about an eighth of all whites. From early December through much of January (the holiday season), poverty slaps them in the face. These holidays are more like an orgy of conspicuous consumption than a celebration of the Christ child’s birth.

We have been barraged with television, radio and print holiday ads. Some can only watch the ads, not daring to hope that they can possess any of the things being advertised. Parents are often frustrated by their children’s pleas. Struggling to put food on the table, toys are a luxury they can’t afford. Meanwhile, the average family will spend almost $900 on holiday gifts. Some children will receive so many gifts that they have tired of them before Christmas day is over.

Some holiday tables will groan with plenty. Others will feature a modest meal. Hundreds of thousands will eat only because charitable organizations provide Christmas meals, or the fixings for them. Indeed, lots of charities step up during this holiday season, providing gifts and clothing for the young people whose parents can’t afford them, or meals for those who will go hungry. Lots of caring people will be photographed, Santa hats in place, serving food at shelters before they sit down to their own meal. While their gesture is much appreciated, too many are MIA in April, July, or October, when there is as much hunger as there is in December.

People shop more on December 26 than on any other day of the year, including the day after Thanksgiving, because post-Christmas sales are “great”. How many homeless people will they walk by on their way to the department stores? How many who served food on Christmas day will give on the day after Christmas? Many malls do not allow panhandlers on their property. That’s a convenient way to avoid reality.

I could go on – some people have no shoes, while others revel in the fur-lined boots they get for the holidays. Some have dozens of coats in their closets, while others are coatless and cold. Some folks have so much “stuff” that they aren’t sure what they have. Others “aint’ got no stuff” and would relish a trinket – a new scarf, a piece of costume jewelry, a box of candy, a token that reminds them that somebody cares.

I’m not condemning fellow consumers. I’m as bad as anyone, my house overflowing with much-appreciated gifts from friends, and little goodies that I’ve purchased myself. In facing my own consumerism, I’m not doing any holiday shopping this year. I am in solidarity with the #Black Lives Matter folks who have done my spirits well when they disrupted Chicago’s Magnificent Mile (keep it up, y’all).

I’m not writing to criticize those who spend during this holiday season. I’m writing because I want those who are cognizant of the ways income inequality affects the holiday of our nation’s poor to consider activism around inequality issues during the rest of the year. We need people to pressure Congress to pass more legislation to create jobs and income supplement opportunities. We need more opportunities for people to participate in SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Programs – or food stamps) to prevent hunger. We need folks who are willing to serve justice, not just food. We need to talk to young people about income inequality, suggesting that they donate just one of the dozen toys they receive to a needier young person. Compassion is wonderful; compassion plus action is a winning combination.

When you drive by homes that are amazingly decorated with blinking lights and spellbinding ornaments, it is almost impossible not to enjoy the riveting display. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the profligate display of holiday cheer (an acquaintance told me that he spends more than $2000 to develop his display). There is something wrong if “peace on earth, goodwill to all” is only a reality during this holiday season.

Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist based in Washington, D.C. Her latest book “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy” will be published January 2016 and is available for preorder on www.juliannemalveaux.com

What Will 2016 Bring for Economic and Political Opportunity and Social Justice? Marc H. Morial

Dec. 27, 2015

To Be Equal

What Will 2016 Bring for Economic and Political Opportunity and Social Justice?
Marc H. Morial

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won. – James Weldon Johnson, “Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing.”

The 2016 Presidential election still is more than 10 months off, but already it promises to serve as a referendum on social justice and racial reconciliation, in a year when national attitudes are changing faster than ever – and not always for the better. Pending U.S. Supreme Court decisions and legislation before Congress 2016 will profoundly impact racial consideration in college admissions, voting rights, collective bargaining and criminal justice reform.

The Court’s decision on Fisher v. University of Texas, brought by a white woman who claimed she was denied admission to UT because of her race, could put an end to efforts by educational institutions to ensure diversity among their student bodies.

The Constitutional principal of “one person, one vote,” established in 1964 in Reynolds v. Simms could be undercut by the Court’s decision on Evenwel v. Abbot. In Reynolds, the Court determined that legislative districts, both state and federal, must contain roughly equal numbers of people, guaranteeing fair representation. The plaintiff in Evenwel claims that “one person, one vote” refers only to the total voting population. That would mean that urban districts, which contain more children, immigrants and other disenfranchised persons, would be dramatically under-represented while suburban and rural populations would be grossly over-represented.

The rights of public-sector unions are at risk in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association. Under current law, unions may collect dues from non-members for collective bargaining but not political activity. Friedrichs argues that even collective bargaining activities, from which non-members benefit, are political so non-members shouldn’t have to contribute. Public-sector unions have been a driving force in bringing African-American workers into the middle class; Friedrich could turn back the clock on that progress.

Congress has an opportunity in 2016 to correct one the most egregious blows to voting rights in the 20th century. The Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Jurisdictions with a history of discriminatory voting practices no longer would be required to seek preclearance with the U.S. Justice Department before making changes to voting laws. Immediately following the Shelby decisions, states rushed to enact voter suppression laws targeting people of color, students and senior citizens. The bipartisan Voting Rights Amendment Act would restore preclearance and safeguard the rights of vulnerable citizens whose voices are being silenced.

Heading into 2016, the national outcry against police brutality seems to be reaping results, with officers in Chicago, North Charleston, S.C., Baltimore and elsewhere at last facing criminal charges for apparently racially-motivated violence against people of color. This could be the year for a full turnaround if the National Urban League’s 10-Point Justice Plan is adopted. Congress should enact a national comprehensive anti-racial profiling law, mandate uniform FBI reporting and audits of all lethal force incidents involving law enforcement, and create incentives for police departments to use body and dashboard cameras, review and revise deadly force policies and tighten hiring standards.

Perhaps most importantly, the economic recovery from the Great Recession has left many urban communities behind. The overall Black unemployment rate remains twice the rate for Whites, with rates as high as 25% for young black men. Many people working even two or three jobs can’t make ends meet because of dismally low wages. Several Presidential candidates have promised, if elected, to pursue a national minimum wage hike, which would be a significant step toward reducing poverty. Tired pledges to slash taxes on the wealthy, which we’re hearing from many of the candidates, will do nothing to create jobs. Congress has an opportunity to create thousands of jobs and revitalize the national economy by enacting a surface transportation bill that guarantees employment for workers in low- and moderate-income communities and ensures access to contracts for minority businesses.

As our nation grows more diverse year by year, the social structures of the past are challenged. We in the National Urban League Movement will continue to be at the forefront of those challenges, and we pray for guidance as we rise to meet them in the coming year.

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Black Women of the Year By Dr. E. Faye Williams

Dec. 27, 2015

Black Women of the Year
By Dr. E. Faye Williams

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - As the leader of a national women's organization, there are only rare moments each year when I don't view the world without considering how events pertain to women, their families, and impact their quality of life. Although it's taken far too long, the pendulum of justice is beginning a swing toward justice for women. Clearly, this isn't a result of a general epiphany for justice. Rather, it results from progressive women extending themselves, for the greater good of womanhood, beyond boundaries artificially imposed upon them. At year's end, I recognize and commend several women whose characters and conduct stand as models for us all.

Few life-stories are as inspirational and uplifting as that of Serena Williams. She has destroyed stereotypical expectations for an African American woman reared in circumstances which were supposed to limit her. Named by Sports Illustrated Magazine as 2015 Sportsperson of the Year, and International Tennis Federation Woman World Champion of 2015, Serena has parlayed her tennis skills into world-wide notoriety and entrepreneurial opportunities for herself and others. Six times, she's been ranked by the Women's Tennis Association as the World's Number One women's single player. She's a multiple winner of all four Tennis Grand Slam Championships (21 total) and the all-time winning woman in prize earnings.

This year, Serena fell just short of holding all four Grand Slam Championships in a calendar year. Her treatment by many in the media and public for these accomplishments was an unfavorable comparison to Caitlyn (Bruce) Jenner and American Pharaoh, a horse.

Excepting those knowledgeable of current events, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi are not household names. They are, however, the founders of Black Lives Matter (BLM), a movement that has blossomed into one of international consequence. BLM is their reaction to the senseless and brutal interface common between Black people and the law enforcement community. The tragedies of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, and countless others give justification for the BLM movement.

BLM has encountered unyielding backlash from that portion of the nation that de-values Black lives and seeks excuses to justify acts of brutality and injustice. The movement started by these young women has generated greater public attention to the violence unjustly visited on the African American community and demands for institutional remedies.

Working quietly under the radar since her long-overdue confirmation is US Attorney General (AG), Loretta Lynch. Her story of an eminently qualified public servant being denied confirmation as AG is well-know to the public. It was a failed confirmation based upon political motivation, with the suggestion of a possible racial component in the manner of her confirmation process. She's the first African American woman who holds the position of AG.

Among the most high-profile cases to which she has had to respond are the Charleston Church Massacre, the Colorado Planned Parenthood Massacre and the San Bernardino Massacre. She has acted professionally and without fanfare - the same way she has thus far served.

Last, but not least, I must acknowledge our First Lady, Michelle Obama. Anyone paying the least attention must honor her for assuming the role of "Mother of the Nation." Her work promoting proper nutrition and emphasizing a focus on education has been stellar. For over seven years she has stood as an advocate for military families. Arguably, she has been the most active FLOTUS in our history.

Although not all inclusive, these African American women stand as exemplars to the African American community and as models for our young women, and young women in general. We close 2015 honoring these women and looking forward to their continuing influence in 2016 and beyond. The greater challenge is for more of us to "Rise up, pick up our beds and follow."

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. www.nationalcongressbw.org. 202/678-6788)